Keep Your Linen Sparkling

Linen has the endearing quality of keeping clean, shaking off most day-to-day stains and off odors, but what to do when it needs a little extra help from its human?

Ground rules:

1. Sort like with like, and always wash whites only with whites.
2. Use a cold water wash. Modern detergents are formulated to work perfectly well cold, so save some energy.
3. Use half the quantity of detergent suggested by the manufacturer, and raise the amount only if you have to. This cuts down on residue, which feels harsh and smells a little too much for comfort. There are better things to smell of.
4. Use wool dryer balls to dry your linens faster and keep them from wrinkling.  Don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets, they contain plasticisers which coat fibres and lessen their absorption.
5. Dry your linens at medium or even high heat, as long as you pull them from the dryer still very slightly damp, and shake them out to dry more or less flat.  Wrinkles miraculously disappear. If you want to see what happens if you crowd your linens and bake them to a crisp, try it once!

DEALING WITH STAINS

Body oils and stains from humans and pets alike should be treated with enzymes, so it is good to know that detergents from The Laundress all contain enzymes - yes they are expensive, but they are ultra-concentrated so you use very little, which is a good thing.  

If you have yellowing from body oils (a testosterone problem mainly) or stains from lotions and make-up, try an overnight soak in well-dissolved Biz. Biz is a peroxide soak with enzymes, and it is the enzymes which break down oils and proteins from lotions and makeup. You can buy it online, or at enlightened stores (are you still with us? This is riveting stuff!)

You know all the fine print on laundry products? It’s there for a reason, so test on an unobtrusive spot if you are in any doubt. If you make a paste of a dry product, or use a detergent undiluted, there is a risk of lifting color as the mixture is strong. With Biz, I dissolve it well, dilute it and use an overnight soak. That will treat the whole cloth, and if anything is going to happen to the color, it is happening to the whole item, not making a mark in one area. This is especially important on natural linen, as it is truly straight from the field - dyed items are far more stable. Even with white, I always treat the whole item to avoid livid blotches. 

For a stain like blood or mascara, I use Shout. I have experimented, spraying it on natural linen and letting it dry, and the colour is unaffected, so I use Shout with a lavish hand. Blood should be spot-treated immediately with Shout, and cold water is really important here.

MAINTAINING COLORS

Some people wonder why I advise against chlorine bleach, and Tide, this is why: bleach turns natural linen sickly yellow, and Tide turns it pink. Tide is formulated for synthetics which can sequester dingy discoloration and off odors, it is harsh on natural fibres. If you really must, you can use bleach or Tide on white linen, just make sure it is well dissolved/diluted to avoid blotches.

I tend not to use OxiClean as it has peroxide bleach but no enzymes, so Biz wins.  

Another fail-safe but fiddly method is the old-fashioned boil-wash, brilliant for yellowed pillowslips. Put the items into a big pan of water with a very small amount of detergent, dish soap will do it, and gently simmer for around half an hour. Too much detergent or too high a boil will give you suds everywhere. Drain and wash as normal in the washing machine, feeling very pioneer woman all the while. Hang to dry until you are sure the discoloration is gone, as the dry heat of a tumble-dryer can set stains.

Another time-tested technique? Hang your white linens outside in the sun.

So, in summary:

• Shout is a good first stop for a stain.
• Biz and The Laundress products have enzymes, so they are better than OxiClean.
• Chlorine bleach makes whites whiter, at a cost.
• Dish soap is good for spot-treating oils as it is pure detergent, no bleach.
• Sunshine is free.
• Avoid tumble-drying or ironing until you are sure a discoloration is gone. Dry heat can set stains.